Some insurers balk at covering homes with particular dog breeds

[DryCreek]

http://www.belleville.com/mld/belleville/living/16851325.htm

Some insurers balk at covering homes with particular dog breeds
By Steve Dale

McClatchy-Tribune News Service

(MCT)

Margie Foshe was stunned when, without warning, her homeowner's insurance policy from Rockford Mutual was cancelled. After all, she paid her premiums on time. She did make two claims (totaling less than $3,000 for gutter and swimming pool repairs) several years back. Foshe was "amazed" to read the company's explanation for non-renewal: "Pit bulls are not allowed."

Although Foshe admits that her dog, Mocha, does have features common to pit bulls, he's not actually a pit bull. That explanation fell on deaf ears. Also, Foshe was told that even though 5-year-old Mocha has never been involved in a claim and never been accused of being a problem is "irrelevant."

When searching for a replacement policy, Foshe, of Lee, Ill., (outside DeKalb) learned she was guilty of a double whammy. Her other dog, a 7-year-old Rottweiler mix named Radar, also turned out to be a liability because many insurers profile Rottweilers as well as all dogs resembling pit bulls.

It turns out insurance companies that discriminate based on dog breeds have "blacklists," which vary from carrier to carrier. The Doberman, Akita and even German shepherd often appear on such lists. According to a 2006 story in the Boston Globe, one company even refuses to sell homeowner's insurance to people with Yorkshire terriers.

Dawn Howard, of Bolingbrook, Ill., says she never would have believed such a thing until her insurance company, Allstate, hiked her premium solely because, as her agent said, "You own a breed with high incidence of being dangerous and biting." Howard has Chihuahuas. "I really thought they were joking," she says. "If it weren't so stupid, I would be laughing."

Washington State Rep. Tom Campbell (R-Second District) is serious about passing a state law to prevent insurance companies from discriminating against dog owners based on breed alone. This will be his fourth year trying to buck the formidable insurance lobby and get the bill through. He's not giving up. "This is bigotry," Campbell says.

One can argue that Campbell is especially sensitive about this issue. After all, he's a Rottweiler breeder, though he says he's personally lucky that his own insurance carrier isn't among those discriminating, at least not yet.

Illinois State Senator (D-Oak Park) Don Harmon doesn't even own a dog but is sponsoring a similar state bill. "This isn't a political issue; it's a matter of right and wrong," he says. "I have no problem with insurance companies being able to protect their interests. But I have yet to hear a convincing argument that the breed is a determining factor as to whether a dog will be a liability."

That argument, according to Carolyn Gorman, vice president of the Washington, D.C.-based Insurance Information Institute, a trade association representing the insurance industry, is the history of severe losses insurers have experienced with specific breeds. According to the Insurance Institute, in 2005, dog bites cost insurers $317.2 million, representing 15 percent of liability claim dollars paid under homeowners' policies.

"Insurance companies have to balance making a profit and being responsible to their bottom lines against being responsible to the public and doing what is reasonable for most of their insurers to keep premium costs as low as possible," Gorman notes. "Dog bites are a significant issue, and it seems certain breeds are most often responsible."

"While certainly an individual company may have its own experience with a certain breed, it doesn't truly speak to what most pit bull-type dogs, Rottweilers or Dobermans are like," says Dr. Gail Golab, associate director of Animal Welfare at the American Veterinary Medical Association.

Campbell says he knows senior citizens who've had their homeowner's coverage pulled out from under them just because they have a targeted breed. "The dogs themselves are older with absolutely no history of being a threat," he says. "This is ridiculous and something has to be done."

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© 2007, Steve Dale.

 

[elegy]

you know what's even more baffling to me? that people don't know that this happens. that they're blindsided by it. at least as far as people with pit bulls and rottweilers go. come on, people.

there are some breeds like huskies and great danes where i understand that they'd be in the dark- who really thinks of huskies as a high risk breed? but if you've got a pit bull, imnsho, there is no excuse for not knowing.

 

[BostonBanker]

I'm pleased to say that Vermont also has a bill on the table that would prevent insurance companies from discriminating based on breed. They could only base it on a dog's personal history/bite record.

 

[Aussie Red]

Ugh I hope they never find the ACD to be one that needs to hit that list.
They can make a pitty seem mellow.
People need to stand up to this. Insurance companies are getting out of control.
Insurance is just that insurance. We have it because of the what if's the unexpected.
God I am getting so tired of being " MUGGED" by big business.

 

[bubbatd]

I know when I moved in here and the agent came out with forms he met my 2 Goldens , but still had to ask if I had other breeds . I think I would have been covered but with a much higher premium .

 

[elegy]

i have my homeowner's through state farm. they don't have any kind of breed bias. my agent has a huge rottweiler. he knew me as the girl with the two pit bulls

they will not cover dogs with bite histories or dogs who have been trained as guard dogs.

 

[bubbatd]

Hmmmmmmmmmm....... mine's State Farm too . Could be by area...Pitts and Rotties have bad histories here .

 

[ravennr]

As far as I know, my state deemed BSL to be, well, stupid. I'm not sure about the insurance here, but when it comes time, I'll be sure to check into it. Especially since the two breeds I am interested in are Chows (first) and Pits.

 

[Buddy'sParents]

I also have State Farm and there are no biases regarding breeds. I hope it stays that way, too.

 

[Zoom]

I think Shelter has some sort of higher premiums for certain breeds. I'd have to see what they've done since this summer and everyone going wacko with wanting breed bans.

 

[Barb04]

State Farm here also!

 

[Bahamutt99]

What kills me is when places require insurance on Pit Bulls. They just aren't in touch with reality. Go up to any insurance agency and tell them you need to insure a dog that has been declared de facto vicious by the city and count how long it takes them to stop laughing.

 

[ToscasMom]

Insurance companies have a question on how many and which type of pets you have when you apply now. Some companies will attach a rider that says they will not cover any liability for incidents regarding certain breeds of dogs. When I was getting Tosca, I called my agent and asked point blank if this was going to be a problem. He said no, but rattled off a dozen dogs that they balk at. GSDs, Rotties, Pit Bull, Dobes, Akitas, Chows, among others were on the list. You might be interested that a number of states have laws pending that will make it illegal for insurance companies to refuse to insure based on dog breed, so things might be looking up. Here's a piece on it:
http://www.realestatejournal.com/buysell/taxesandinsurance/20060605-mcqueen.html

 

[Bahamutt99]

Yeah, they're trying to get a law like that passed in Illinois. Hopefully if one can get passed, the idea will spread like wildfire (or BSL). Evidently the insurance lobby is a formidable opponent.

 

[Love That Collie]

I was an investigator for insurance co. attorneys for years.

State Farm does have their dog "blacklist" here, some states they don't.

There might be legislation on the table in various states but that won't make insurance co's write insurance for dog owners. They can just stop writing insurance policies altogether IF they want, should a legislative act pass. They did that here for about 4-6 months a couple of years ago. You couldn't get a homeowners policy written, dog or no dog.

And another way they will get around that is that yeah, they will write policies for dog owners but it will be VERY expensive.

 

[elegy]

i believe there is actually a law in PA saying that insurance companies cannot discriminate based on dog breed, but it still happens. the people i had my car insurance through would not give me renters or homeowners because of my dogs. i switched my car insurance from them and told them exactly why. not that they cared.